American Presidency

 Instructions The topics for the second writing assignment are below. You may choose to write about either topic. This assignment should be no more than 750 words in length. You do not need to use references, but please cite any sources that you do use. You should briefly explain and defend an argument; you will not have room to say much, so I encourage you to stick to a single main point, and I strongly encourage you to get right to the point because there is no room for an introduction. The topic below is a guideline; you should write something closely related to it, but you do not need to answer the questions directly. The paper should be completed and submitted no later than midnight on Thursday of week 4. 1. Richard Neustadt published the first version of Presidential Power in 1960. Obviously, a lot has changed in the half century since then. Is Neustadt’s theory of presidential bargaining still relevant? If so, what additions or changes might we make to make it apply better to the contemporary presidency? If not, why does it no longer fit? 2. Richard Neustadt and Fred Greenstein both argue that a President has a great deal of control over how successful he is in office. Stephen Skowronek, on the other hand, implies that Presidents are at least limited, if not outright controlled, by circumstances. To what extent do Presidents actually control their own legacies? Does Skowronek leave room for presidential agency, allowing Presidents to transcend their historical situation (or fall short of its potential)?